Heddle.



JULIUS GROB, OF HORGEN, SWITZERLAND.

HEDDLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUs GRon, a citizen of the Republic ofSwitzerland, residing at Horgen, Switzerland, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Heddles, of which the following is aspecification.

In the manufacture of sheet metal heddles for looms it is the custom atpresent to form the loops thereof whereby the bed dles are strung on thecross-rods of the harness shafts by a punching operation which producessimultaneously an appreciable displacement of the metal on both sides ofthe entering tool, for the purpose of distending the slit formed to anextent suificient for it to receive shaft-rods of suflicientcross-sectional dimension to be capable of properly supporting thecomplete set of heddles; sometimes the metal is first transverselystretched and then the eye or loop referred to is formed by punching,pressing or cutting out the middle of the stretched part. Either ofthese methods of forming the loop has the disadvantage that the metal ofthe heddle at the loop is very considerably weakened, especially at eachend of the loop; it is for this reason that, as is well known, the endsof heddles frequently become broken off. Besides, this method of formingthe loops possesses the disadvantage that the danger of unduly weakeningthe heddles in forming the loops makes it necessary to limit the widthof the loops, in consequence of which it is generally impracticable toemploy cross-rods hav "ing round or otherwise appreciable crosssections,notwithstanding there are many instances where cross-rods of this kindare desirable.

The object of this invention is to provide a heddle wherein the loops bywhich the same are strung on their supporting crossrods may have anynecessary size or form, for instance, round as well as elongated, andyet the metal of the heddles remain unstretched and hence unweakened.This object, briefly stated, is accomplished by forming a longitudinalslit in the metal at the place where the loop is to be, and bending thematerial at both sides of the slit in opposite directions out of itsoriginal plans; in order to bring the axis of the loop thus producedinto angularity with reference to that. of the thread eyelet or mortiseSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 5, 1913.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Serial No. 752,008.

of the heddle (2'. e., into angularity with respect to the plane of theheddle, which of course must stand flatwise or broadside to the line inwhich the thread extends therethrough when in operative position in theshaft), so that it may be strung on the cross-rods of the shaft andallow the thread held and guided thereby to feed freely therethrough,the loop-including portions of the heddle are twisted or turned more orless out of .coincidence with, the plane of the body of the heddle.

Referring, now, to the accompanying drawing, Figures 1 and 2 show inside and front elevation one form of the heddle produced in accordancewith this invention; Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views in side andfront elevation of a modification of the same; Fig. 5 is an enlargedplan view of a group of the heddles shown in Figs. 1 and 2 strung on'across-rod; Fig. 6 is an enlarged. front elevation illustrative of thespacing of the body parts of the heddles shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is aplan of a group of the heddles shown in Figs. 3 and 4 strung on acrossrod; and, Fig. 8 is an enlarged front elevation illustrative of thespacing of the body parts of the heddle shown in Fig. 7.

Referring, now, to Figs. 1 to at of said drawings, a is a heddle of wellknown type, the same having a well-known form of warp thread eyelet ormortise b.

To form the loop in each end portion of the heddle, whereby the same isadapted to be strung on the cross-rods of the harness shaft, a slit isfirst formed, extending longitudinally of the heddle, and then the metalat both sides of said slit is bent in opposite directions, as at 0 0 inFigs. 1 and 2 and d (Z in Figs. 3 and 4, and so that their relativelyinner edges 0' and d (Figs. 5 and 7) lie both substantially inta planeperpendicular to their original plane; or the slitting and bending maybeperformed simultaneously. The portions so 'bent in opposite directionsmay have any desired shape, for instance, so as to produce the circularloop shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or the elongated loop shown in Figs. 3 and4, according to the size and shape which it is desired or necessary thatthe cross rods of the harness shaft should have. I

In order to bring the axis of the loop thus produced into the desiredangularity with reference to that of the thread eyelet or mortise Z) theend portion of the heddle including the thus-formed loop is bent ortwisted into a plane having angular relation to the plane of the bodypart of the heddle.

Figs. 1 and 2 and about 90 in the heddle shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

According to the extent to which this twisting 0r bending is carried itwill be obvious that, further, the spacing of the body parts of theheddles, and hence of the threads they support, may vary; and yet allthe heddles may be crowded or nested in closely disposed relation so faras their 100pforming portions are concerned.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim and desire to secure is:

The herein-described sheet-metal heddle thus forming a loop to receive across-rod of a harness shaft, said portions having their relativelyinner edges both substantially in a .plane perpendicular to thefirst-named plane and each loop-including part of the heddle beingtwisted into angular relation to the plane of the thread-eye-includingpor tion of the heddle, substantially as described. In testimony whereofI atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS GROB. Witnesses:

CARL GREBLER, AUGUST RUEGG.

